What I Do
Workshops & Training

The workshops usually include a smattering of science (for instance, the neurobiology of laughter and why it makes us feel so good), some improvisational or other interactive exercises (card games, peer learning), storytelling, a conceptual model + vocabulary, and lots of opportunity for participants to make the learning their own—or not. 

I invite people to be discriminating about what works for them and what doesn’t.  There is always something for the visual, the auditory, and the kinesthetic learning styles (to use an overly crude classification).  I think many trainers are extroverts, so not surprisingly many training designs work best for extroverts.  I beta-test my designs on a friend who is an extreme introvert.  Not all the exercises would suit her, but there are some that would in each module.  And I certainly like to eliminate the design elements that unnecessarily cause discomfort for introverts.

And very importantly—I have an absolute passion about getting people up and moving around in ways that don’t feel silly to them.  On that note, I don’t usually use powerpoint but I do have substantial, rather nice looking handouts. (The handouts are a new thing based on Tufte’s essay Power Corrupts; PowerPoint Corrupts Absolutely.)

Below is a sampling of some workshop classics I teach.  I almost always customize the workshops for a particular audience.

Humor in and out of Conflict  How to restore yourself, maintain perspective, speak truth to power, and connect with others, among many other benefits—and a few risks—of using humor in conflict.  This is partly a reaction to the somewhat dour and earnest face my profession can wear.  (Originally developed with Dave Ceppos of the Center for Collaborative Policy in Sacramento; we offer this workshop as a team or separately.)

Group Creativity  This workshop explores what it means for a group to be creative, how to foster it, how to notice and enjoy and celebrate it, and what to do about the creativity boogeymen and women.  (Again, a Fox-Ceppos creation offered as team or solo.)

Communication Practicuum (with or without videotape--  if the class is large the videotape becomes unwieldy)  I use a series of short exercises that are fun as well as providing very good practice for such concepts as: moving from positions to interests, hearing the feedback and making course-corrections, standing up for yourself without causing unintended damage; respecting your instincts; going with the flow when the flow is good.

Interest-Based Negotiation  This is the classic Getting to Yes stuff.

I also have done several  workshops dovetailing a substantive area of expertise (section 404 of the Clean Water Act) with a negotiation principle, or else operationalizing communication strategies within a given group’s daily practice (such as doing role plays around situations that come up regularly).